Since the first stimulus dollars went out the door, we've been doing our best to track the impact of the federal funds on Illinois' economy. Schools have been spared massive cutbacks, unemployed workers have been thrown a lifeline, and increased food stamp allowances have ensured that low-income families can put dinner on the table. Taken together, these human investments have spared six million Americans -- including 305,000 Illinoisans -- from slipping into poverty in 2009, according to a report (PDF) released by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) yesterday.

It's worth noting that CBPP's latest report only weighs the benefits of the stimulus spending so far -- enhanced unemployment insurance, tax credits for low- and moderate-income families, increased food stamp allowances, and a one-time "bonus" checks issued to retirees, veterans, and the disabled -- which accounts for only $205 billion of the estimated $787 billion Congress authorized under the bill.  In addition to giving the overall economy a jolt, CBPP's Arloc Sherman explains, this type of spending has strengthened the social safety net at exactly the time it is needed most:

The recession has affected family income and poverty status in two major ways. First, it has exposed more families to the risk of poverty by increasing unemployment and underemployment and thereby reducing their earnings. Second, it has increased participation in key income-stabilizing programs — such as unemployment insurance and food stamps — that the stimulus bill temporarily expands further. Failing to account for either of these changes would understate the role of the stimulus in protecting families from income loss and poverty.